CM Fadnavis receives ₹11 lakh donation for drought relief at Pune visit
Synopsis
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis visited Pune corporator Dr. Nivedita Ekbote's residence on 15 October 2026, where her parents donated ₹11 lakh to the CM Relief Fund on behalf of Progressive Education Society's Modern College, for drought-affected farmers.
Key Takeaways
₹11,00,000 donated to Maharashtra's Chief Minister's Relief Fund for drought-affected farmers.
The cheque was presented by Dr.
Gajanan Ekbote and Dr.
Jyotsna Ekbote on behalf of Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce – Business Administration Campus , Pune.
CM Devendra Fadnavis visited the Pune residence of Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Dr.
Nivedita Ekbote on 15 October 2026 .
The CM Relief Fund has historically supported farmers during Maharashtra drought cycles, including the severe droughts of 2015–16 and 2018–19 .
The donation reflects a broader state practice of channelling institutional and civic contributions into government relief mechanisms.
A cheque for ₹11,00,000 — handed over in a Pune drawing room — found its way into Maharashtra's drought-relief machinery on Thursday, 15 October 2026, as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the residence of Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Dr. Nivedita Ekbote.
The donation was made on behalf of Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce – Business Administration Campus, one of Pune's most established academic institutions. It was Dr. Nivedita Ekbote's parents — her father Dr. Gajanan Ekbote and mother Dr. Jyotsna Ekbote — who formally handed the cheque to the Chief Minister, directing it to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CM Relief Fund) for the benefit of drought-affected farmers across Maharashtra.
CM Fadnavis, posting in Marathi on X, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Ekbote family for their hospitality and acknowledged their gesture of social responsibility: 'त्यांच्या या सामाजिक दायित्वाबद्दल त्यांचे आभार मानले' ('I thanked them for this sense of social responsibility').
What the CM Relief Fund does for farmers
The Chief Minister's Relief Fund is Maharashtra's primary state-level mechanism for channelling voluntary and institutional donations toward disaster and drought relief. The fund has a long track record of supplementing government allocations during acute distress years — it saw significant activity during the severe drought cycles of 2015–16 and 2018–19, when farmer communities across Marathwada and Vidarbha were hit hard. Voluntary contributions from trusts, educational institutions, and individuals have consistently formed a meaningful part of its intake. The Progressive Education Society, the Pune-based trust behind Modern College, adds institutional weight to this donation — signalling that organised civic bodies, not just individuals, are stepping into the relief chain.Pune corporator, family, and the civic tradition of giving
Dr. Nivedita Ekbote serves as a corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation, representing local civic interests in one of Maharashtra's largest cities. The donation by her parents, made through the college platform, reflects a pattern the state has quietly nurtured for years: elected representatives and the institutions connected to them mobilising resources beyond the government budget to support rural distress. For drought-stricken farming communities — particularly those in rain-shadow districts of Maharashtra — every institutional contribution into the relief fund translates into a tangible support measure, whether in the form of direct financial assistance or input subsidies. A single cheque, a family visit, and a well-worn relief mechanism — but the urgency of Maharashtra's farmer crisis gives even routine gestures a sharper edge.Point of View
Which governs Maharashtra and faces persistent scrutiny over agrarian distress in Marathwada and Vidarbha, such optics carry political value alongside genuine welfare intent. The pattern also underscores how local elected representatives like municipal corporators serve as connective tissue between state leadership and community-level philanthropy.
NationPress
15 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund?
The Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CM Relief Fund) is a Maharashtra government fund that accepts voluntary donations from individuals and institutions to provide financial assistance to disaster and drought-affected communities, including farmers.
Who donated ₹11 lakh to the CM Relief Fund in Pune?
Dr. Gajanan Ekbote and Dr. Jyotsna Ekbote , parents of Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Dr. Nivedita Ekbote , donated ₹11,00,000 on behalf of Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce – Business Administration Campus , Pune.
Why did CM Devendra Fadnavis visit Pune on 15 October 2026?
CM Fadnavis visited the Pune residence of corporator Dr. Nivedita Ekbote, during which the Ekbote family presented a ₹11 lakh donation cheque to the CM Relief Fund for drought-affected farmers.
How does the CM Relief Fund help drought-affected farmers in Maharashtra?
The fund pools voluntary and institutional donations alongside government allocations to provide financial relief, input support, and assistance to farming communities affected by drought, particularly in regions like Marathwada and Vidarbha.
What is Progressive Education Society's Modern College known for?
Progressive Education Society's Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Pune is one of Maharashtra's well-known educational institutions run by the Progressive Education Society , a Pune-based educational trust.
